Luis Severino is our top play, but he’s one of the few with clearly favorable matchup. In fact, many of today pitchers, including Michael Fulmer, Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez, Charlie Morton, and Alex Cobb, have poor matchups based on the splits. The numbers actually point to Mike Clevinger and Danny Duffy as solid options despite traditionally scary opponents and ballparks (@BOS and @BAL, respectively). Marco Estrada, who’s struggled noticeably since the start of June, has the best matchup of the day (@CWS), but it actually wouldn’t be surprising if he has a high ownership percentage....

If you feel the need to dip below that quintet, the two guys in the lone night game are unfortunately the next best options. Beyond that you’re taking a pretty big risk with anyone else, especially when you factor in the head-to-head matchups of Dylan Bundy (vs. McCullers and the Astros) and J.A. Happ (vs. Kluber and the Indians). Even Kyle Freeland, who has pitched well in Colorado all year (3....

Of course, there are also plenty of late-season injuries to contend with, including DeMarcus Cousins (knee), Kobe Bryant (shoulder), Andre Igoudala (ankle), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (illness), Kevin Love (illness), Goran Dragic (ankle), and Jonas Valanciunas (hand). The latter three are expected play, but most of the others will be game-time calls. Checking the latest injury info is important, as playing time opens up when a normal starter is out. That’s where you can find the real sleepers to pair with some of the stars listed below....

With that in mind, our DFS advice hones in on the strategy of finding values from the likes of players on teams competing for the postseason, especially when they’re facing those who are not. Case in (DFS) point(s): The offensively potent Falcons at home against the breathing corpse known as the 49ers – our sure-fire stacking plays of the week. WEEK 15 DFS: FanDuel GPP lineup | DK cash | DK GPP | DFS lineup builder...

Last week featured some big surprises that would’ve been difficult to predict, but we’ll see what, if anything, can be learned from these breakout performances. If you’re looking for DFS tips right up until game time on Sunday, follow me on Twitter @MLoveDFS! WEEK 6 DFS: DK cash lineup | FD GPP | DK GPP | Top values Now, let’s see what we can find from Week 5 that will help us build winning DFS lineups moving forward, starting with guys who outperformed our lineup optimizer’s high expectations....

We play the safe floor and high ceiling for the most part, but we also take a big swing for salary relief at one running back spot to take advantage of the many mid-priced and high-upside wide receivers this week. WEEK 9 RANKINGSQuarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker Week 9 FanDuel NFL DFS Picks: Cash game Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys vs. Chiefs ($8,200)...

And he remembers the first time in a racecar at Talladega Superspeedway, looking at the track in front of him in awe. So coming back to the track, the site of the Sprint Cup race Sunday, Earnhardt comes to a place that he loves nearly as much as the fans love him. MORE: Junior memories | Earnhardt Sr.’s ‘93 win | Best rookie classes | Talladega upsets | Earnhardt has five career wins at the track where his father won 10 times, including the last of his 76 career wins in 2000....

The band known as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is simply Jr. Jr. after an announcement earlier this week. MORE: Did you know these athletes were musicians? | Dale Jr.’s defining moments “We recognize that we created this situation and that the name has been a part of getting to where we are now,” the band said in a post on their web site. “It stirred up some attention for us in the modern internet world of over-stimulation, and we aren’t complaining about any of it–good and bad....

— So there he was, Peyton Manning, NFL legend and former Tennessee football hero, taking in the drivers meeting at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was a time for Manning to hobnob with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Their common denominator: sponsorship. MORE: Bristol starting lineup | 10 drivers to watch | Angry drivers ahead Manning, by the way, is 6-5, making Junior seem small even though he is 6 feet tall....

Earnhardt’s No. 88 car will start from the back of the field at Sunday’s FedEx 400 after his team had to change a rear gear in his Chevrolet earlier in the day. Earnhardt qualified 16th on Friday. MORE: Drivers to watch at Dover | Picks and odds | Why Jimmie Johnson isn’t going for 11th win Hendrick Motorsports noted the rule was put into effect for last week’s Coca-Cola 600....

Unless you’re Dale Earnhardt Jr., then your only driving stereotype is NASCAR superstar. Still, Dale Jr. teamed up with funny guys Dude Perfect for a hilarious video about all the weird things you see on the road. MORE: Dale Jr.’s defining moments | Fan leaves Dale Jr. awesome surprise Junior even belted out some Shania Twain and Spice Girls. Driving is hard. Well, for some of us it is anyway....

Let just be glad they did, becuase this is fantastic. MORE: Most beloved NBA players | Best & worst case scenarios for the Mavericks Mark Cuban, you've done it again. 

In a video on TikTok with over 10 million views, Dino the 6-year-old Dalmatian has caught the eye thanks to his short stature. Dino lives with owners Christine and Danyelle in Hamburg, Germany. He has chondrodysplasia, an abnormality that appears on x-rays as spots near the ends of bones and in cartilage. Characterized by dwarfism and abnormal body proportions, it means that this Dalmatian is a lot smaller than the usual size for the breed....

“If you’re asking about Dalvin, I think Dalvin can [play],” Zimmer said, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. However, things changed over the weekend. Now, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Cook is “unlikely” to suit up for Minnesota against Seattle. QB RANKINGS: Where does Kirk Cousins rank among NFL QBs? Cook suffered the ankle injury during the Vikings’ 34-33 loss to the Cardinals in Week 2. He was clearly hobbled in the second half and struggled to do much after suffering the injury....

Late in the game, there was another play at midcourt, and this one showed the competitiveness Lillard brings. It was a pivotal moment, and it should be getting him some extra notice. It was his chasedown strip of the Nets’ Caris LeVert, who was his team’s Lillard this night in the Central Florida bubble. The turnover led to a CJ McCollum bucket and a four-point Blazers lead with 53.4 seconds to play....

Lillard entered tonight’s contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder needing just 21 points to pass franchise icon Clyde Drexler on the all-time scoring charts and in the third quarter he did just that. SIGN UP TO WATCH EVERY GAME ON NBA LEAGUE PASS: U.S. and U.K. | All other countries With 8:48 remaining in the period, Lillard brought up his 18,040th career point with a signature long-range 3-pointer to tie Drexler’s all-time record....